The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and, more particularly, to an electrical connector for interconnecting circuit boards.
Printed circuit boards are used widely in order to mount and interconnect electrical components in all types of electronic equipment, including data processing systems. In a data processing system, printed circuit boards are often inserted into connectors located along a computer backpanel so that conductors on each of the printed circuit boards may be electrically interconnected, by way of the connectors, at the backpanel.
One frequent occurrence in the use of a data processing system is the need for additional circuitry, such as memory circuitry or devices, in order to increase the capacity of the data processing system. In the past, this was accomplished by increasing the number of circuit boards connected to the computer backpanel. If the computer backpanel was already fully occupied, it was necessary to redesign the entire system, for example, by replacing the old backpanel with a larger backpanel in order to permit a larger number of circuit boards to be interconnected at the backpanel.
Obviously, the replacement of a backpanel because it is not of sufficient size to permit the connection of additionally circuit boards significantly increases the cost of adding to the capacity of a data processing system.
There has, therefore, arisen the need for an apparatus which permits increasing the number of printed circuit boards in a data processing system without having to either replace a backpanel which interconnects such circuit boards or leave sufficient room on an existing backpanel so that additional printed circuit board may be later connected. There has further arisen the need for such an apparatus that can be inexpensively manufactured and easily assembled.